Author: communications

Don’t let the holidays derail your healthy habits and goals. Maintain Don’t Gain is one of our most popular wellness challenges offered through PEHP. Sign up today to get tips and ideas to maintain your weight during the busy holidays while staying active and having fun! Maintain Don’t Gain runs 8 weeks and is email-based with weekly messages and challenges. Organize challenges within your school or departments.

Want a little more that will help you all year long.  Attached is the Choose Your Path to Wellness flyer for 2026. The flyer includes QR codes to find all of the PEHP wellness activities, programs, and online classes along with many new prizes for next year!  Watch this very short video about the Choose Your Path to Wellness page and programs that you can participate in if you are enrolled in our medical plan with PEHP.

If you have any questions about any of these programs, reach out to PEHP directly 801-366-7555 or Insurance Services 801-567-8146.

• PEHP Choose Your Path to Wellness Flyers'
• Sign Up for Maintain Don't Gain: Wellness Challenge

Dear Educators,
We are pleased to inform you of recent updates from the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) that will streamline the process for teachers to upgrade their current licenses to include grades 6-12. This change aims to offer educators more opportunities to enhance their teaching credentials and broaden their influence in schools.

Eligibility and Requirements
Teachers with a qualifying professional license in Elementary, Early Childhood, Deaf Education, Preschool Special Education, and Special Education areas can now add the Secondary (6-12) license by fulfilling the professional level endorsement requirements for a Content Area Endorsement or a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Endorsement.

Available Content Area Endorsements:
Below is a comprehensive list of eligible content area endorsements:

• American Sign Language
• Driver Education
• Health Education
• Library Media
• Physical Education
• Secondary Fine Arts (All areas)
• English as a Second Language
• English Language Arts
• Literacy Interventionist
• Middle School Mathematics (Formerly Math 2)
• Secondary Mathematics
• Science Core
• Secondary Science: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics
• Social Studies (All Areas)
• Social Studies Composite
• World Languages
• And many more within the CTE endorsements

Application Process

Group 1: Applying for Professional Level Endorsement

• Educator Status: Holds a qualifying professional license and is applying for a Content Area or CTE professional-level endorsement.
• Application Used: Updated "Endorsement Only" application in SM Apply.

Group 2: Already holds a Professional Level Endorsement

• Educator Status: Holds a qualifying professional license and already has the required Content Area or CTE professional level endorsement.
• Application Used: "LER Upgrade to Professional” application in SM Apply.

We encourage all eligible educators to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance their teaching credentials. For further information, please visit the USBE website or contact Brittany Bauer at brittany.bauer@jordandistrict.org or 801-567-8214.

Thank you for your continued dedication to education and for making a positive difference in the lives of our students.

Are you currently in, or have completed, a School Leadership licensure program and would be interested in a one-year placement as an Paid Administrative Intern in Jordan School District?

The application window is opening soon! See the details below, or visit the HR Administratve Internship Guidelines page.

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Application Windows

• January Interviews: Application opens Dec. 8, 2025 and closes Dec. 22, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
• February Interviews: Application opens Jan. 5, 2026 and closes Jan.16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

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Eligibility

• Be enrolled in a university administrative and/or leadership program, OR
• Have a current in-state or out-of-state administrative license.

STEP 1: Complete the current Administrative Full-Time Paid Internship application in Frontline

• In the application, you are required to provide 3 references, which must meet the following criteria:
  1. Current Administrative Supervisor
  2. 2nd Administrator with whom you have worked with in the last 5 years
  3. A professional reference with whom you have worked with in the last 5 years
     • Your application will not be processed until all 3 required references are completed and returned.
     • All your references will receive an email from Mailbot@applitrack.com requesting they complete our Administrative Reference Form on your behalf. It is important you personally notify them to complete and submit the Administrative Reference Form ASAP.

• The video portion of the application is required. Please make certain links can be viewed by anyone who has the link.

STEP 2: Invitation to Interview. Administrative Internship applicants may be invited to an interview in January or February This is a mandatory, in-person interview with the Administrative Cabinet. These interviews will be held on either Monday or Friday to accommodate travel plans for any out-of-state applicants.

Offer and Placement of Successful Candidates: These notifications will be made by phone from a member of the Administrative Cabinet. Candidates who receive a 1-year internship assignment will be invited to apply for and be interviewed in May/November for the Administrative Pool.

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Additional Information

• Administrative Internships are intended to be a one-year placement
• Administrative Internships are a 187-day contract on the Teacher Salary Schedule
  • Elementary placements receive 20 additional days
  • Secondary placements receive 10 additional days
• Internal JSD candidates chosen as an intern will return to a licensed position for which they are qualified at the conclusion of their intern year if not selected for an Administrative placement.

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after the MLK recess for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:

How to Request
During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

• Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org
• Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

School Holiday	Date of Holiday	Critical Days	Window
Martin Luther King Licensed & ESP	Jan. 19, 2026	Jan. 16 and 21, 2026	Dec. 5 – Dec. 15, 2025

*Critical Days are the first student attendance days before or after a school holiday. If a non-student attendance day falls before or after a school holiday, the Critical Day is the day before or after that non-student attendance day when students are in attendance.

• Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken Before or After a Holiday
• ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken Before or After a Holiday

Valued Licensed Employee:

The Human Resource Department is notifying you of important information regarding upcoming policy deadlines.

LICENSED EARLY NOTIFICATION (Resignation or Retirement)
Licensed employees resigning/retiring at the end of the current contract year, who give official early notification in SKYWARD – EMPLOYEE ACCESS, will be eligible for a tiered incentive. Informing your principal/school administrator either verbally or in writing is not sufficient. To qualify, notification must be submitted on or before the following dates:

• Dec. 15, 2025 - $500.00
• Jan. 15, 2026 - $300.00
• Feb. 15, 2026 - $200.00

The incentive will be paid on the last regular paycheck. Notifications of resignation/retirement received after the dates listed above will not qualify for an incentive. The official District “Notice of Resignation” form is found in Skyward Employee Access under “Task Processes”. Please see District policy DP318 for more detailed information regarding resignations.

If you do not know your Skyward username or password please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.

Licensed employees who do not submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward Employee Access with at least thirty (30) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500, which will be deducted from their final check.  Informing your principal/school administrator either verbally or in writing is not sufficient.  See District Policy DP318 – Resignations - Licensed.

School/District Administrators must submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward Employee Access with at least sixty (60) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500 in accordance with District Policy DP318A – Resignations-Administrators.

Let URS help you understand your benefits and plan a bright future. Whether you're age 20 or 90, whether you have three months or 30 years until retirement... This is for you.

Come learn about your URS benefits. Open to ALL full and part-time employees. Each session will cover URS savings plans along with Tier 1 and Tier 2 pension systems.

• Jan. 12, 2026 | Bingham High Tech Atrium | 4 -5:30 p.m.
• Feb. 11, 2026 | Herriman High Media Center | 5 -6:30 p.m.
• March 5, 2026 | Copper Hills High Media Center | 4 -5:30 p.m.
• April 13, 2026 Riverton High Media Center | 5 -6:30 p.m.

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• Winter 2026 URS Retirement Presentation Schedule Flyer

Are you and your students ready for the 1st grade literacy quarter 2 goal and the Jan. 23  Mastery Connect data input deadline? Please see the attached document for instructions and materials to assess and input the data for this goal by Jan 23. Please contact Mandy Thurman or Michelle Lovell with any questions.

• 1st Grade Quarter 2 Benchmark Assessment Materials and Instructions

Each year, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) gives the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) the opportunity to celebrate elementary principals for the great work they are doing in their schools. The categories are:

• Distinguished Principal of the Year
• Distinguished Assistant Principal of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• Innovator of the Year
• Community Leader of the Year
• Student Advocate Principal of the Year
• Instructional Leader of the Year
• Principal Mentor of the Year

If you feel that an elementary principal or assistant principal has done exceptional work, we invite you to nominate them for an award by using on the link below. 

• 2025-26 Principal Recognition Award Form

This survey closes on Dec. 10, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

Information Systems is excited to announce a significant step in enhancing the District’s operational technology: the upgrade to Skyward’s Qmlativ Student Management System. Mark your calendar, as Qmlativ Student will go live on July 19, 2027. As a reminder, the team is currently in the process of migrating the finance system to Skyward Qmlativ, with a scheduled go-live date of May 4, 2026.

The adoption of Qmlativ Student will modernize how we manage student data and daily processes with a more integrated and user-friendly platform. Take a moment to preview the robust features offered in Qmlativ by watching this brief overview:

With Qmlativ Student, district departments and school staff will experience:

• Enhanced Data Accessibility: Easily find, filter, and extract critical student information, allowing for faster, more insightful reporting.
• Intuitive User Experience: The modern, clean interface is designed to simplify daily tasks, making student management more seamless than ever before.
• Personalized Workspaces: Customizable dashboards will allow staff to prioritize the student data and functions most relevant to their specific roles.
• Greater Adaptability: Navigate scheduling, grading, attendance, and record-keeping with increased flexibility.

Further information regarding timeline and training will be shared as Information Systems moves forward with our implementation. In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions, please reach out to the Information Systems helpdesk at 801-567-8737 or use extension 88737.

The Language & Culture Services team has a few spots open for Spanish for Educators. Their goal is to provide tools and resources for classroom teachers so that they can sharpen Spanish skills, whether this is their first time being exposed to Spanish or they learned in high school, LCS encourages all educators who have students that speak Spanish to take this 5 week course from DLI educators.

The course is 5 weeks long. Select one from two remaining sessions:

• Session 3 Jan. 5 - Feb. 10, 2026
• Session 4  Feb. 23 - March 23, 2026  is available for learning.
• Classes will be held from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
• Locations:  Bingham High on Tuesdays | West Jordan High on Wednesdays | Mountain Ridge High on Thursdays

Please complete the registration form at the link below, to help us gauge interest.  Classes are for licensed educators only.

• Registation for the Spanish for Educators Class

Please be aware that you can opt out of receiving a printed District W-2 form. Instead, an electronic copy will be provided. You can opt out of your District printed W-2  by going to Skyward Employee Access by Midnight on Dec. 9.

• Choose the electronic W-2 by selecting the “I do not need a printed copy”…
• Electronic W-2’s will be available in Employee Access for printing/viewing by mid-January.
• Opt out and win one of many prizes! A drawing for the prizes will be held on Dec. 10. Winners will be contacted.
• District printed W-2’s will be mailed by Jan. 31.

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• 2025 W2 Opt Out Flyer

The JSD Teachers for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Team has created a monthly newsletter.  The full newsletter for this month can be found at the link below. Stories include:

Ambient Noise - You just heard the classroom door close. As a hearing person, you glean information from this. You learn that someone just entered or exited the room. Maybe this means it’s okay to use the restroom… or someone is going home sick… or a service provider has taken a student out of class… What information would you be missing if you never heard this noise? You hear students whispering in the corner of the room. Perhaps they are telling a joke… maybe sharing answers on the quiz… maybe they are poking fun at someone… What information is being missed if you don’t have access to this conversation?

Incidental Learning - Incidental learning happens any time a student gleans information beyond the learning outcome. Because DHH students don’t overhear conversations, they miss out on a lot of incidental learning. Thus, it is vital that no question be considered inappropriate. You may be the only exposure the student has had to this information.

Closed Captioning - Just a friendly reminder to make sure all videos are accessible by turning on closed captioning or subtitles.

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• Dec. 2025 Incidental Learning DHH Tips for Teachers Newsletter

Future Teacher Fest
Presented by JSD WBL Specialists, this event was designed to inspire 8th and 9th-grade students with the goal to build a robust pipeline of future educators, by engaging with students early and helping them to see the variety of careers available within the teaching profession. The event was attended by Superintendent Anthony Godfrey and Representative Tracy Miller. Thank you to all of our wonderful teacher presenters and future teacher student panelists who participated. Read on to check it out!  Here's what else is inside:

• Zero Gravity Summit
• Teacher Resources
• Curriculum/Training
• Elementary Lessons
• WBL Events
• Social Media Links

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• Dec. 2025 Career & Technical Education Newsletter

401k & 403b combined, 457

• $24,500
• $32,500 catch-up limit $8,000 (age 50 or older)
• $35,750 "super catch-up" limit $11,250 (ages 60-63)

Traditional and Roth IRA

• $7,500
• $8,600 catch-up limit $1,100 (age 50 or older)

401k, 457, Traditional and Roth IRA contacts:
Utah Retirement Systems (URS) - www.urs.org for Member Login (801-366-7720)
Payroll Department - payroll.jordandistrict.org (801-567-8154)

403b Third Party Administrator contact:
National Benefit Services (NBS) - www.nbsbenefits.com (800-274-0503 Option 5)

Health Savings Account (HSA)

• $4,400 single coverage
• $5,400 catch-up limit $1,000 (age 55 or over)
• $8,750 family coverage
• $9,750 catch-up limit $1,000 (age 55 or over)

HSA contact:
Insurance Services - insurance.jordandistrict.org (801-567-8146)

The Dec. 2025 important Payroll information is now available and can be viewed using the following link:

Dec. 2025 Important Payroll Information

The Payroll Department would like to remind all employees to submit a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, if your filing status, other income, deductions, or credits have changed or will change for the next year. Also, employees should submit a new Form W-4 if they made a mid-year change based on their use of the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator available at IRS.gov/W4App. These mid-year changes may under or over withhold for the next full calendar year.

Even though the IRS does not require all employees to complete a new Form W-4 and even if your tax situation has not changed, we recommend you perform a “paycheck checkup” to see if you need to make any adjustments to your current withholding.

Please note: if you do not submit a new form, withholding will continue based on your previously submitted form, unless you are claiming exempt. If you have been claiming exempt, you must file a new W-4 at the beginning of the year by February 15, 2026 in order to maintain exempt status.

The IRS has also published General FAQs that you may find helpful as you complete the form at irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-on-the-2020-form-w-4. W-4 forms can be filed at any time in the Payroll Department and are available on IRS.gov or the Jordan Payroll website.

Dear Teacher Friends,

Thank you for all the incredible work you are doing in our state’s classrooms. This past June, my youngest child graduated from high school, and it made me reflect on the dozens of teachers who shaped my children’s lives for the better. From the elementary teachers who taught them the basics – reading, writing, sharing – to the middle and high school teachers who nurtured their passions (and kept them in line when needed), I can clearly see the difference each of you made for our entire family.

During this busy holiday season, please remember that the work you do truly matters. Every relationship you build with a child can change their trajectory. Recently, I had the privilege of meeting with a group of teachers and heard one describe how she did a student’s hair every morning so that child could feel comfortable with her peers and focus on learning. Another shared how opening physical education classes to students of all abilities transformed the culture of her entire school. Everything you do builds belonging and changes hearts.

And I know I’m not the only one who feels grateful for your hard work. Every Show Up for Teachers sponsor and supporter shares my appreciation. You are surrounded by a community that believes deeply in the educators who show up every day for Utah students.

Thank you,

Join us on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the South Jordan Walmart for a day filled with holiday joy and generosity. This year, more than 500 of our deserving middle and high school students have been selected to participate in this heartwarming event and we need chaperones to help them shop.

Each student will receive $175 (tax-free) to spend on items they need and want. You can help make this day truly special by volunteering as a chaperone, guiding students as they shop while enjoying some holiday cheer.

Time slots are available every 30 minutes starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6. Your support will make a lasting difference in the lives of students and help create cherished holiday memories for both students and their chaperones.

Please see the link for more details and to register for a time slot.

• JEF Christmas For Kids Chaperone Information

TO FIND OUT WHEN…..WATCH THIS.

More details for Health and Wellness Day will be coming soon.  Watch for updates in JEM and at wellnessday.jordandistrict.org!